The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1887-06-11
ST. LANDRY PARISH, June 9th, 1887

y Il. l.
EDITORS COURIER:
Now that the question of "Prohibition is
likely to be presented to the people OF this
parish ..high Iiceuse'' as a substitute is being
freely discussed iu anti i-prohibiti0n circles 1t
is urged as Il compromise between prohibition
and anti-prohibitiou. But what are its mer-
it's? Suppose the people of this parish by u
popular vote should decide that upon the
payment of given sum liquor should be sold
at only one establishment in the parish OF st.
Landry. Or suppose the highest bidder in
each town or in each ward should be allowed
the privilege of selling liquor or suppose
eyery person who sheuld pay $50O,00 should
be allowed to sell it. OF course this would
close good many little whisky shops aud
give the monopoly Of The bushes to a few.
Now, suppose these few should put up the
price Of whisky, those who could affOrd it
would do the drinking, while the poor man
could not sell it because hc could not pay she
license, and he could not use it because he
could not pay for the whisky. Now this
would be '.class legislation" against the poor
,nau, and consequently unjust.
p't snnuose. instead, If the few persons
who had the monopoly of the business should
see tit TO sell as cheap as ever, which they
coald well do, for the simple reason that they
would sell more whisky than ever before
Then. If the object of high license is to estab-
iish a monopoly ip favor of rev: she pau
move is to discourage the use of liquor hy
nutting it beyond the reach of consumers, 1t
would unauestionably prove p failure.
Why have "high license at al9 Why arc
whisky sellers required, as u is, to pay a
higher license than grocers or dry goods mef'
chants
OF course from the well recognized fact that
the sale of liquor has most pernieIous and
demoraiizing effect in o community.
Taking this view of the case, is it right 10
| license the sale Of liquor at all q We think
not. and believe that the Pr0hibitionists OF
sc, Landry wish to place themselves on recofa
as ,1ncompromisingly opposed to the sale oi
Hanor except for medicinal, mechanical. %
eramental and scientific purposes. we afs
| onnosed to every attempt to dress the Ilquol
bneiness up in fine clothes aud make 1t res
pectable. ~,
| are opposed TO selling tho right OF esfaDlisn
inc IN our midst stumbling blocks for tn'
GOOD men aud pitfalls for the unWary: II !
| p sinne. the people are to blame. lt ID hk'
/ l:eans;no q vampire to feed upon the life bloet
| off society. 1t is moral cancer that poison
| the system of u community anu etines IN
mower aud inclination to do good. Its inroad
rn"n pn I'D victims are constant, causing thei
min financially, physicaily, morally and inte
/ IactuaIy. II steals the money from Q man
/ naclet and the sunshine from his heart.
mmrilers his honor and integrity while
i makes him o physical wreck. It FoDs MN
4 hid home and happiness aud reduces ms fan
4 lily to want u causes the most e. sny .I sit =
q and crime Of the country and supplies tne q
mand land supplyl for more whisky an
ic1,aaner whisky. When we license the sale
sinuor we license the vice and crime that pre-
!. anon the yirtue of the land. We lieense 9
sinatitution that does harm to everybody aI
coed 10 nobody "a thing that while DfinglI
s 4 faw hundred dollars of reyenue, canses
ss-s.rs -. s,f rnonv xsnusauds. Shall We